Velocipede



(No Model.) s sheets-sheen 2.

T. B. JEPFERY. 'Y

VBLGGIPBDB.,

1\I0.408,o14l Patented Julyso, 1 89.

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3. T. B. JEFFERY.

VELOGIPEDE.

No. 408,014. Patented JulyjO, 1889. l# @J @3% (ma mm UNITED STATES FATENT Orrrcii THOMAS B. JEFFERY, OF RAVENSVOOD, ILLINOIS.

VELOCIPEDE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 408,014, dated July 30, 1889.

Application filed May 3, 1888. Serial No. 272,736. (No model.)

To all whom, it' may concern.'

Bc itknown that I, THOMAS B. .IEFFERY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ravenswood, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Velocipedes, which are fully set forth in the following specification, reference being' had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof.

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective. Fig. 2 is a planof the main frame. Fig. 3 is an elevation of the same, in which appear, also, the pedal-supporting frame-bars. Fig. et is a detail side elevation of the brake mechanism. Fig. 5 is an axial section through the rear brake-rod bearings. Fig. Gis a detail vertical section through the frame at the line x on Fig. 3, showing the axle-bearing box in elevation. Fig. 7 is a section at the line x on Fig. G. Fi Sis an axial section through the ball-bearing of the main axle. Fig, 9 is a vertical section in a direction fore and aft through the seat of the pedal-crankshaft bearing. Fig. 10 is a detail plan of a clip by means of which the steering-rod is secured to the frame, a portion of the frame-bar being shown in said view. Fig. 1l is a transverse section at the line y y on Fig. S.

The main frame of this machine comprises two side bars A and A2,`a crossbar A5, which rigidly unites them in the vicinity of the main axle-bearing, au upwardly-arched crossbar A", which further rigidly unites them forward*v of the main axle, downwardly and rearwardly extending arms A5 A5, which project in the vertical plane of the side bars from the junctions of the cross-bar A5 with said side bars, respectively, downwardly and rearwardly, and at their free extremities are provided with seats for the bearings of the rearpedal crank-shaft. As illustrated, the bars A5 A5 haveformed integral with them, at their upper end, in the immediate vicinity of their junction with the side bars and the cross-bar A2, the seats A for the main driving-axle.

These seats will be hereinafter explainedin detail, together with certain adjusting devices which pertain to them. The main axle B extends across between the two side bars as nearly in the vicinity of the cross-bar A5 as the necessary size of the parts permits, said axle extending underneath said side bars, while the cross-bar is in the saine horizontal plane with them.

'lhc main sprocket-wheel C is secured to the axle B outside of the vertical plane of the side bar A and inside the vertical plane of the right-hand drive-wheel D, and said drive-wheel is located as near to the vertical plane of the side bar A as is consistent with that construction. The side bar A extends forward from the cross-bar A2 and constitutes a reach to the steering-head E, which is secured to its forward end. From the crossbar A2 said side bar A extends rearwardly a short distance and then bends upward, still extending rearward, and after extending a shortdistance in that direction it bends siden ward or inward and extends toward the Opposite side, but stops short of the middle point between the wheels. To this sideward extension A10 there is secured the clip d10, in which is adjustably secured the rear seat-support F. A similar clip d10 is secured upon the upwardly-archedcross-bar A4, and affords means for ad justably securing the forward seat-sup* port F, which is in all respects precisely similar to the rear support F. The brake-wheel C is secured to the axle in a position relative to the left-hand drive-wheel D', similar to that which the sprocket-wheel C occupies with respect to the right-hand drive-wheel D.

To the main frame, in the close vicinity of the main axle, and preferably, as illustrated, upon the lugs d50, projecting from the seats A50, are pivoted the forward pedal-crank-shaf t frame-arms A0 A0, which have seats for the self-aligning bearing-boxes of the forward pedal cranli-'ihaft K. The side bar A2 extends forward from its junction with the crossbar A4, and rearward from its junction with the cross-bar A3 a short distance, and at its two extremities it is similarly provided with the bearings A20 and A21, respectively, for the brake-rods H and I-I. Said brake-rods have secured to them above theirbearings, respectively, the cranlearms 7i, and h', whose ends are connected by the brake-link H2. Said brake-link has a threaded portion 7L2intermediately located between its ends, upon which IOO are placedtwo nuts H2. Thebrake-lever H1 is pivoted upon a clip A01, secured upon the left-hand pedal-crank-frame arm A0, and has connected to it the two ends of the brake- 5 band C10, one end being connected one side of the pivot and the other the other side. The brake-lever H1 is bent so that it has two arms H and H11, the arin H10 extending up and being forked at its upper end, said fork extendro ing up to thev brake-link H2, and having an eye through which said brake-link passes, the parts being assembled with the eye located between the two nuts H3. The points of connection of the two ends of the brake-band and :5 the brake-lever when the band is slack are not far out of line with the center of the brake-wheel, and when the brakeis tightened by rocking the lever one end of the brakeband is carried inside the other and the band :o is wrapped almost entirely around the brakewheel. The large amount of surface which thus receives the pressure of theband renders less force necessary to operate the brake, and the band, being drawn from both ends, rene 5 ders less motion necessary to apply the necessary pressure to the brake-wheel.

The cranks 7L are formed with the hubs 7L10, which extend through the bearings A20 and A21, respectively, and at their lower end,

go below said bearings, a collar 7L11 is secured upon said hubs by the screw 71,12, which at the same time binds the said hubs, and thereby the cranks 7L', to the brake-rods H'. By this means a large bearing-surface is obtained in- 5 stead of a small one-viz., that of the hub'instead of the rod. The collar 7111 constitutes a stop to preventthe crank-hub, and so the rod 71.', from being lifted out of the bearing, and the crank H' above said bearing affords a to stop in the other direction.

The forward pedal-crank-shaft fram e-arms A'i A6, pivoted, as above described, to the main frame, and carryingr at their forward endsthe crank-shaft K, are adjustably se- 5 cured to the frame by the links A7 A1, which are bolted to clips A10, secured on the side bars A' and A2, and have severalholes a7, through any of which a bolt may be passed to secure the links to the clips A71, which are provided `o on the frame-arms A0. By this means the forward end of the said frame-arms may be raised and lowered, and secured at any desired height, thereby supporting1 the pedal crank-shaft K at any desired height to 4aecommodate the rider occupying the forward seat.

The seat-supports F are formed of spring- Y metal rod, which isbent so that it consists of a vertical part F', which is inserted through io the clamp-socket in the clip d10; the oblique part F2, which extends from the lower end of the vertical part upward and rearward to a point somewhat higher than the upper end of the vertical part, and the part F3, which exi 5 tends from the upper end of the oblique part F2 forward and preferably slightly u pward and hassecured upon itthe saddle L. This forni of support. while permitting the vertical adjustment of the seat to any desired height within the range of the straight vertical portion F', gives to the seat elasticity of movement fore and aft and up and down, the former movement being obtained chiefly by the bend at the lower end of the parts F and F2, and the latter chiefly by the bend at the upper end of the part F2 and rear end of the part F2.

To the side bar A' there are secured two clips A11 A11, which are alike, one being located a short distance forward of .the upwardly-arched cross-bar A1, and the other about an equal distance rearward of the straight cross-bar A2. These clips have verticalbearings L11 for the steering handle-rods J J, and the horizontal bearing @L12 for the steering connection rod or link J'. The steering-wheel M is journaled in the usual manner in the fork h which is pivoted in the steering-head E, the axis of said pivot being substantially in the vertical plane of the side bar A. The wheel M, therefore, does not track precisely with the drive-wheel D, but is nearly enough to the vertical plane of the vlatter so that in ordinary road the two will run in the same beaten track. The rear scat, it will be noticed, being supported at the inner end of the sideward extension A10 of the side bar A', is at the righthand side of the middle line between the drive-wheels, and by' the amount of ydistance which said sideward extension projects laterally from the vertical plane of the side bar A said rear seat is out of line with the steering-wheel M. The forward seat is secured upon the cross-bar At1 about as far to the left of the middle line between the wheels as the rear saddle is to the right of that position, and is therefore out of line both with the rear seat and with the steering-wheel. The side bars A0,bein g in the vertical plane of the side bars A' and A2, present no obstruction IOO TIO

forward of the forward seat, making the machine entirely open front, said side bars being pivoted to the main frame veryn ear to the drive-wheel axle and extending forward in a direction which deviates comparatively little from horizontal.

changes the position of thecrank-shaft forward or back, theadjustment being therefore almost entirely confined to the raising and lowering and not materially affecting the slackness of the driving-chain N in any extent of adjustment which will ever be required, so that no adjustment of Athe chains themselves is ever necessary on account of the adjustment of the position of the pedal crank-shaft.

I provide both for the pedal crank-shaft and for the axle self-aligning journal-boxes, those of the crank-axle being indicated in the drawings by the letter B and those of the crank-shafts by the letter B2. In respect to their self-aligning capacity they are the saine, and that quality is derived through the chai'- The raising and lowf ering of said side bars only very slightly ISO vided with the spherical concavity fitting the outer surface of the journal-box,so that when said journal-box is put in place and the setscrew P tightened up against it it is retained by the said cavities, but is free to adjust itself in every direction about the center of the spherical curvature of said cavities, so that they may come into complete alignment with each other and with the shaft journaled in them.

For the main axle, which has ball-bearings in the self-aligning journal-boxes described, I provide a novel means of adjustment. The conical sleeve R,which is interiorly threaded and screwed onto the exteriorly-threaded sleeve or bushing R', has heretofore been held in place and adjusted by the j ain-nut, also screwed onto the bushing outside of the conical sleeve. Where this construction is employed, there is liability of tightening up the adjusting sleeve in setting the jam nut against it, and thereby binding the ball-bearing too tightly. I prevent this damage by providing a washer R2, which has projecting from `its inner circumference a tooth r2,which enters the longitudinal groove 7", which I make in the outer port-ion of the bushing R. By means of the engagement of this tooth r2 in the groove 0" the washer R2 is prevented from turning' about the bushing, and when the conical sleeve R has been screwed up t-o the proper position the washer Rintervening between said sleeve and the jam-nut R', being incapable of turning, prevents the rotary motion of the jam-nut from being communicated to the adjusting-sleeve while the former is being tightened up against the washer, which in turn bearing against the sleeve binds it firmly. This device may be applied to any similar adjustable ball-bearing.

I claiml. Ina velocipede, a main frame comprisinga fore-and-aft bar located at one side in close proximity to one of the drive-wheels and middle, a cross-bar connecting said side bars forward of the axle, and two seats, one supported upon the sideward extension of the said longer side bar nearer to the vertical plane of said longer bar than to the vertical plane of the shorter bar, and the other seat supported on said cross-bar nearer the vertical plane of the shorter side bar, substantially as set forth.

3. In a velocipede, a main frame comprising two side bars and a cross-bar connecting them in the vicinity of the axle, one of said side bars extending upward in the rear of the vertical plane of the axle and then sideward toward the vertical plane of the other side bar, but stopping short of the middle point between said bars and a second bar connecting said side bars forward of the axle and arched upwardlybetween them, and two seats, one secured on the elevated sideward extension of the first-mentioned side bar and located nearer said bar and the other secured upon the upwardly-arched cross-.bar nearer to the other side bar, substantially as set forth.

4. In a velocipede, in combination, substantially as set forth, a pair of rear drivewheels, a forward steering-wheel, a main frame, and two seats, the said seats being out of line fore and aft with each other, and the steering-wheel being out of line with both drive-wheels and both seats and being located between the vertical plane of one of the seats and the vertical plane of the drive-wheel which is nearest thereto.

5. In a velocipede, in combination with the main frame and the main axle journaled therein, the pedal-crankshaft frame-bars A, pivoted to the main frame in the vicinity of the axle and extending thence forward, the pedal crank-shaft journaled at the forward part of said frame-bars, the sprocket-wheels on the main axle and crank-shaft, respectively, and the drive-chain connecting them, said frame-bars being adjustably secured to the main frame at a point other than their pivot, whereby the height of the pedal crankshaft may be varied at will without materially changing its position fore andaft or materially slackening or tightening the drivechain, substantially as set forth.

6. In a velocipede, in combination with the main frame comprising two side bars located in proximity to the drive-wheels, respectively, the forward pedal-crankshaft frame-bars located in the vertical planes of said side bars, respectively, whereby said frame is rendered open front, substantially as set forth.

7. In avelocipede, in combination with the main frame having side bars located in proximity to the drive-wheels, respectively, the front and rear pedal-crankshaft frame-bars located in the vertical planes, respectively, of the said side bars, whereby said frame is rendered open both front and rear, substantially as set forth.

S. In a velocipede, the seat-support consisting of a spring-rod having the vertical straight IIO part F and the oblique part F2 extending upward and rearward from the lower end of the vertical part, and the part F3 extending forward from the upper end of the oblique part and adapted to receive the saddle, substantially as set forth.

9. In combination with the frame having' the vertical socket d10, a seat-support having the vertical part F inserted in said socket,

oblique part F2 extending upward and rearward froni the lower end`of the Vertical part, and the part F3 extending forward from the upper end of said oblique part, and the saddle secured upon said part F3, substantially las set forth.

l0. In a two-seated velocipede, in combination with the main frame and the main axle THOS. B. JEFFERY. Witnesses:

E. F. BURTON, CHAS. S. BURToN. 

